Rope tying device



May 30, 1967 H, C, MONROE 3,321,816

ROPE TYING DEVICE Filed June 21, 1965 I N VENTOR. HAP/@Y K. MOM/@0fUnited States Patent O 3,321,816 RPE TYING DEVICE Harry C. Monroe, Gunilain Township, Aliegan County, Mich., assignor to Capra Company,Kalamazoo, Mich., a partnership Fiied June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,523 4Claims. (Cl. 24-130) This invention relates to a rope tying device and,more particularly, relates to a device for releasably fixedly engagingthe end of the rope so as to make it unnecessary to tie a knot in therope in order to secure another object in place with the rope.

The tying of knots in ropes in order to secure another object intoposition can be an awkward and time-consuming operation. Inexperiencedpersons frequently do not tie knots properly and, thus, the knot canbecome loose so that the object is no longer properly held. An exampleof this is in the use of ropes to moor boats. Obviously, the boat shouldbe firmly moored and while knots are known for doing this in a reliablemanner, many times the person who moors the boat either does not knowthe proper knot to use or ties the knot carelessly. Hence, there existsa need for a simple, inexpensive and easy-to-use device for fixedlysecuring the end of a rope in place so that the rope can be used forsecuring objects in place.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improveddevice into which a rope can be placed and which will releasably fixedlyhold the free end of the rope in place.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device, asaforesaid, which is of one-piece construction and substantially oval incross section, and which has at least one axially extendingsubstantially V-shaped slot into which the free end of the rope can bereceived in order that said free end can be releasably fixedly engagedwith the edges defining the slot.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent topersons acquainted wtih devices of this type upon reading the followingdisclosure and inspecting the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the device to which the invention relatesshown in association with a rope and an object to which the rope is tobe secured.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIGURE 1.

The rope tying device 10 to which the invention relates consists of aone-piece member, preferably made of a cadmiumplated steel, and having aflat base wall 11, a pair of arcuate opposed end walls 12 and 13 and afront wall 15, which here consists of a pair of coplanar flanges 14 and16 which extend from said end walls toward each other substantiallyparallel with the base wall. The opposing edges of the flanges 14 and 16each have two end portions 17 which extend at a relatively large angleof from about 20 to 25 degrees, preferably about 23 degrees, to thelongitudinal centerline 20 of the device. The flange edges also have twointermediate portions 18 which extend at a smaller angle of from aboutto about degrees, preferably about 8 degrees, to the longitudinalcenterline 20 of the device, and a central portion 19 which ypreferablyextends substantially along the centerline of the device. The twocentral portions 19 of the flange edges are at least close to each otherand preferably are substantially contiguous with each other. Theportions 17 and 18 of the flange edges define two substantially V-shapedslots 21 and 22 which open in opposite directions from the centralportion of the device 10 through the opposite ends thereof.

The device 10 is substantially oval-shaped in cross sec- 3,321,816Patented May 30, i967 tion and the base wall 11 thereof has openings 23therethrough so that screws can be received in the openings 23 in orderto secure the device 10 to a suitable base, if desired.

In use, a rope R extends through the device 10 and around the object Oto be secured in place by the rope. The free end of the rope is extendedback into the device 10 and then is bent into and through the slot whichis remote from the object O, here the slot 22. A tug on the free end ofthe rope R to cause it to move toward the axial center of the devicewill cause the rope to be engaged by the intermediate edge portions 18of the flanges so that it is firmly, but releasably, held thereby. Thisengagement will be sufficiently secure, particularly where acompressible and preferably braided rope is used, that the rope will notslip along the edges.

It will be noted that any pull exerted on the rope by the object O in adirection away from the device 10 will merely pull the free end of therope more tightly into the slot 20 so that the rope will more firmlyhold. On the other hand, a movement of the object toward the device 10will not free the rope from the slot although it will create some slackin the rope. In order to free the rope, it is necessary to move the freeend of the rope away from the object O and outwardly of the slot untilthe free end of the rope is moved out of engagement with the edges ofthe flanges 14 and 16 which define the slot.

The V-shape of the slots 21 and 22 makes it possible yfor the device tohandle ropes of different diameters. The angular relationships,particularly of the intermediate edge portions 18, are of majorimportance. If the angular relationship of these edge portions 18 issmaller than the range described above the ability of the device 10 tohandle ropes of different diameters is reduced and it is more difficultto achieve a proper seating of the free end of the rope in the slot. Ifthe angular relationship is larger than the range described above, thefree end of the rope is not firmly held. By constructing a device asdescribed above, said device is capable of firmly holding the free endof the rope so as to secure it in place but same permits a rapid releaseof the rope when desired.

While a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has beendescribed, the invention contemplates such changes or modificationstherein as lie Within the scope of the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A rope tying device, comprising:

a one-piece member of substantially oval cross section having a wide,flat base wall, two relatively short, arcuate, opposed end walls and awide, fiat front wall substantially parallel with said base wall, thefront wall being dened by two coplanar anges which extend from said endwalls toward each other, said flanges having opposing edges defining atleast one substantially V-shaped slot therein with the widest part ofthe slot opening through one end edge of said front wall so that thefree end of a rope can be received in said slot and secured againstmovement by engagement with the edges of said slot.

2. A rope tying device according to claim 1, in which said slot has arelatively wide outer portion whose edges define an included angle ofbetween about 40 and about 50 degrees and has a narrower inner portionwhose edges define an angle of between about l0 and about 20 degrees.

3. A rope tying device, comprising:

a one-piece member of substantially oval cross section having a basewall, two arcuate opposed end walls and a front wall substantiallyparallel with said base wall, said front wall being defined by twocoplanar flanges which extend from said end walls toward each other,said flanges having opposing edges deining two aligned substantiallyV-shaped slots which open in opposite directions through the end edgesof said front wall so that the free end of a rope can be received insaid slots and secured against movement by engagement with the edges ofsaid slots, each said slot having a relatively wide outer portion whoseedge portions deiine an included angle of between about 40 and about 50degrees and having a narrower inner portion whose edge portions definean `angle of between about 10 and about 20 degrees.

. A rope tying device, comprising:

tubular member having a wall defined by two wall portions which extendtoward each other, said wall portions having opposing edges, deiiningtwo aligned substantially V-shaped slots which open in oppositedirections through the ends of said tubular member, each said slothaving a relatively wide outer portion 4 whose edges define an includedangle of between about 40 and about 50 degrees and having a narrowerinner portion whose edges define an angle of between about 10 and about20 degrees.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,817 12/1888 Blanchard.926,986 7/ 1909 Hulbert. 1,132,571 3/1915 Forsgard 24--18 1,663,1043/1928 Wales 24--130 1,751,762 3/ 1930 Schoenberger 24-130 FOREIGNPATENTS 50,486 9/ 1910 Switzerland.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

1. A ROPE TYING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A ONE-PIECE MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLYOVAL CROSS SECTION HAVING A WIDE, FLAT BASE WALL, TWO RELATIVELY SHORT,ARCUATE, OPPOSED END WALLS AND A WIDE, FLAT FRONT WALL SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL WITH SAID BASE WALL, THE FRONT WALL BEING DEFINED BY TWOCOPLANAR FLANGES WHICH EXTEND FROM SAID END WALLS TOWARD EACH OTHER,SAID FLANGES HAVING OPPOSING EDGES DEFINING AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLYV-SHAPED SLOT THEREIN WITH THE WIDEST PART OF THE SLOT OPENING THROUGHONE END EDGE OF SAID FRONT WALL SO THAT THE FREE END OF A ROPE CAN BERECEIVED IN SAID SLOT AND SECURED AGAINST MOVEMENT BY ENGAGEMENT WITHTHE EDGES OF SLOT.